300 Words or Less
by PriestessOfNox
Summary: 5 short stories from tumblr prompts: for my friend Abi's birthday.
1. Chapter 1

Happy day between our birthdays day Abi!

300 Words Or Less

1\. "Great, how are we supposed to get home now?" (Stand Alone)

The roof door was locked, Richie didn't have his gear and Virgil left his fold up disk in his room. Plus both of their cell phones where in the room, sitting by the disk.

"Great, how are we supposed to get home now?" Richie looked around the edge of the building but they were too high up for anyone down below to see them.

"I don't know," Virgil sighed, "Call Batman?"

"Can't, left my Bat Signal flashlight in the room," Richie managed to a straight face as he stopped looking for escape and turned to Virgil.

"Curses," Virgil made a show of shaking both fists up towards the sky, smirking when he heard Richie's laugh. He lowered his hands and gazed up at the night sky, the whole reason they got stuck up there in the first place. "At least the view is nice."

"It sure yes," Richie smiled at Virgil, mouth only turning further upwards when Virgil turned to him.

When they kissed, Richie figured it was okay to delay telling Virgil about the fire escape for a little while longer.

* * *

2\. "I can't sleep without you here." (Continued in #3)

Richie always spent more time at Virgil's house than his own. There had been times Virgil found it annoying. There were times Virgil had wondered if Richie remembered that he had his own house and family in it. And there times Virgil simply took for granted that Richie would always be there.

Virgil never took into account that they would grow up. That one day he'd be away at college while Richie was practically abducted to work for Bruce Wayne the moment Richie had his high school diploma.

Don't think Virgil didn't see you at ceremony Batsy. You and your Butler are awfully hard to miss even when in the back row and waving when Virgil and Richie had their turns on stage and smiling that millionaire playboy smile. Or was it a billionaire playboy smile? Really it was semantics at this point.

Still college was a worse enemy than Virgil had ever faced before. He made the mistake of taking morning classes that met every weekday morning and long 3 hour classes that meet once a week after dinner and classes that met in between. When he wasn't studying or doing homework he was drinking coffee and giving shocks, sometimes literally, to the scum of his campus who thought it was okay to put something into a girl's drink.

Virgil was starting to forget what sleep was. Worse, he was forgetting what his best friend looked and sounded like.

His call to Richie's cell went to his voicemail and Virgil rambled for a bit, not even sure what he was saying until, "I can't sleep without you here."

Realizing what he said, Virgil swore, apologized for being stupid and hung up. He was going to die of self inflicted embarrassment if his essay didn't get him first.

* * *

3\. "I got the call last night…" (Continued in #4. It's 324 words, please don't hurt me!)

The last thing Virgil expected to see when he got back to his dorm was Richie in his hallway, leaning next to his dorm door and playing games on his phone while he waited. Well the games part wasn't a surprise but the rest was.

"Don't you have a job now big Gotham man," Virgil could not stop from smiling when Richie looked up at the sound of his voice.

"Eh, I insulted the big boss and he kicked me out of the office," Richie grinned back. "I swear he's rabid as a bat sometimes."

The two laughed at their private joke and hugged. Unlike normal though, they weren't letting go.

"Seriously though, what are you doing here?" Virgil asked, wanting to look at Richie and memorize all the details but unable to release his hold on him just yet.

"I got the call last night…" Richie didn't let go of Virgil either.

Oh, Virgil's embarrassing; sleep deprived and coffee driven middle of the night phone call about how he couldn't sleep without this best friend. He had hoping that had been a caffeine driven hallucination.

"Listen, Richie," Virgil started but couldn't find words.

"That's why," Richie slipped out of Virgil's hold and grabbed a overnight bag from the ground. "I brought junk food, video games, all the Star Wars movies, besides those prequel abominations, and I have the Star Trek movies ordered to soon be delivered from Amazon."

The blond turned and unlocked Virgil's dorm with Virgil's key before turning to him and grinning.

"I'm going to make sure you only don't sleep but fail all your classes."

Virgil stared a moment before laughing harder than he had since orientation. He was holding his sides but still chuckling when he could speak again, "You diabolical maniac, how did you get my key?"

"I pick pocketed you," Richie strolled into Virgil's dorm as if he already moved in. "Interesting things you learn in Gotham."

* * *

4\. "You smell really nice" (329 words. Dang this is hard!)

Luke was whining about something. Virgil couldn't remember and he couldn't really care less right about now. He and Richie had ordered pizza, played video games for far too long and started a Star Wars marathon.

There was homework to be done, studying to do but none of that mattered right now. Richie had laid down more pillows and blankets on the floor than Virgil knew had been in the dorm. They were using his dorm bed as a backrest and at some point Richie wrapped a blanket around Virgil that he was convinced came from Richie's Tardis Mary Poppins wanna-be bag that was warm and really fluffy and Virgil was so tired.

It didn't help that Virgil had forgotten to get more coffee. That Richie would only give Virgil caffeine free soda or water. That the room was dark besides the TV and Richie sitting next to him was really warm.

For a moment Virgil thought he fell over but opening his eyes, which he hadn't realized he had closed, he found that Richie has lifted him up and laid him down on his bed. He always forgot that Richie has gotten stronger than he looked since becoming a hero. He'll have to remember to be grateful for that later.

The TV was off and Richie was lying down next to him in the really small dorm bed but somehow it wasn't uncomfortable. In fact it was rather nice. He would just forget to tell Richie that his roomate's bed was available since he had found a girl and had been stuck to her face pretty much ever since. No, he was keeping this as long as possible.

"You smell really nice," Virgil mumbled, "You get some Bat cologne or something?"

"Nah, haven't showered in a month," Richie said softly, pulling the blanket more securely around Virgil. "Go to sleep, V."

"Okay but no more showering for you," Virgil murmured, falling asleep to the sound of Richie chuckling.


	2. Chapter 2

03/09/17 HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABI!

5\. "You should think about what you've done." (Conclusion to 2-4. NO WORD LIMIT!)

It was light that woke Virgil up. Stupid, sunlight coming in from the window due to the curtains he forgot to close. No wonder Batman was nocturnal.

Still when Virgil opened his eyes and managed to see again he figured that maybe sunlight wasn't so bad. It gifted him this sight in front of him that he had never stopped to really look at before.

Richie was still asleep; one arm curled under his head for a pillow, his glasses folded away somewhere while his face was relaxed and oblivious to the sun behind him. The sunlight made a nice frame behind Richie's head, highlighting his blond hair. Had Richie always been this, well, pretty?

Pretty felt like a weird word to use for a guy. Let alone his best friend for many years now. Still it fitted somehow. How had he not noticed before?

Then Virgil noticed that Richie had, at some point during the night, put an arm around Virgil's waist. Oddly enough, it wasn't weird at all. In fact it was rather nice. Why was that?

"Huh," Virgil mumbled, "For a college guy I sure can be dumb sometimes."

"What are you mumbling about now Sherlock," Richie stretched as he woke up, fingers curling and caressing the small of Virgil's back.

"Well, you know how you like guys, right?" Virgil wondered if Richie was awake enough to remember his own preferences at the moment.

Richie hummed, seeming to be thinking this over, as he opened his eyes. He was silent for longer than Virgil liked when he realized Richie was looking at this arm around Virgil's waist as if it betrayed him.

"Sorry," Richie mumbled and moved to pull back but Virgil didn't let him.

Instead Virgil reached out and wrapped his hand around Richie's elbow to keep Richie's arm in place. When he was sure Richie wasn't going to try to pull back again, Virgil let his thumb caress over the paler skin he held.

"Well," Virgil looked up at Richie, "I think you made me Bi."

Again Richie was quieter much longer than Virgil liked. Really, what had Virgil been thinking? Just because Richie liked guys didn't mean he'd like Virgil. They had been best friends for much too long and he probably just ruined the best thing he ever had.

"You can't make someone Bi," Richie was trying to do his serious face but Virgil saw him fighting off a smile and relief washed over Virgil.

"You did," Virgil combated, "It's your fault so you have to take responsibility."

"Really," Richie smiled, "What does that entail?"

"Being my boyfriend for starters."

"So demanding."

"You should think about what you've done."

"Don't worry, I will. Does this mean I'm really not allowed to shower anymore?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

Richie moved a little closer, just so he could see Virgil better without his glasses. Being closer to Virgil was just a very nice bonus.

"Does this mean I get to kiss you now," Richie asked.

"I'd be offended if you didn't."

"Well I can't offend my boyfriend on the first day."

"Definitely not."

The first time they tried to kiss, they bumped noses. It was just so teenage movie that they had to laugh, which ruined the second attempt and they just had to laugh more.

They would get the hang of kissing eventually but right now Virgil couldn't remember the last time he was this happy.


End file.
